24.12.2010 13:52

Afellay, happy to be part of the Barça family

Vanessa Forns

Speaking to the media after signing this lunchtime, Ibrahim Afellay declared himself: “happy to be part of the family of the best club in the world”.

Wishing al present Happy Christmas in Spanish, Barça’s latest signing explained: “I’ll wear the Barça colours with pride and respect. Barça is more than a club, Happy Christmas and Visca Barça!”

Guardiola

Afellay has already spoken to Josep Guardiola and he commented: “it was very positive”, and that he will need time to ”adapt to the team and their style of play”. Guardiola promised him every help to ensure that he settles in” as soon as possible”.

“I’ll fight for a place”

Afellay knows that he’ll have to fight for a place as an attacking midfielder in the team: “that’s normal at a club like this where there are so many quality players, but I’ll fight for my place. I don’t mind where I play –wherever the boss wants me, I’ll do my very best”.

“I didn’t think twice”

Afellay. who told reporters they could call him “Ibi”, explained how he’d felt when he first learnt of Barça’s interest in signing him: “when I was a kid, I wanted to play for Barça – it was a dream. We all know that it is the best place to play football and when I heard about their interest I didn’t think twice, I just felt – sign now and close the deal quickly”.

Afellay believes his new team is: “fast and has a really high level. Every new player who comes in has to find his position in the team and that’s what I will do”.

Dutch tradition

As the latest Dutchman to join the club, Afellay claimed: “players from Holland have always been welcome here. Players like Cruyff or Kluivert are very well known and they have told me this is the best club in the world”.

Importance of the Academy

Afellay finds himself in a team with all three candidates for the World Player of the Year Award and all three from the academy system: “it’d be hard to choose one out of the three. The academy system is an education that goes all the way up to the first team and their success shows that it works here”.

Football from another planet

Finally, the Dutchman admitted that he’d watched Barça’s 5-0 thrashing of Madrid last month : “I saw it on TV . The 2-6 was incredible too. Both games were on a different level and it was like watching football from a different planet”.